VUVUZELA!

Not much singing since my last post, and not much to tell you about what I've been up to. Which is not to say that I haven't been busy, because I have! But most of the things I've been spending time sorting out are things I don't want to talk about until they actually happen, for various reasons.

One of the things I have been doing, though, is setting up my regular biennial Fantasy League. (The World Cup starts on Friday, in case you hadn't realised!) If you want to enter a team, that'd be great - the more the merrier. Deadline is kickoff in the first match (i.e. Friday afternoon, UK time). It's free and you don't need to know anything about football, but it makes the World Cup MUCH more fun! The rules are on the form. If you know very little about football, or are in a hurry, you'll find the short player list most useful - it just contains a selection of the most famous players. The other two player lists both have ALL the players on. If you want to enter, just email the form to me (jocelyn@wardle.demon.co.uk).

(This is a RIDICULOUSLY simplified fantasy league, compared to most of the ones you'll see elsewhere - that's because it was originally designed so that kids with learning difficulties could enter. And it works, so I've kept it like this. I always have people who tell me that it's SO easy that there's no way they can lose... but they never all pick the exact same team...)

We have a rehearsal tomorrow (well, later today), which will be fun. (Oh, and for those of you who don't know all the opera gala and recording stuff, you can download most of it from my mp3 page.) (I can't find a recording of Love's Tempest anywhere, though - at least, not without spending more money than I've currently got - so if any of you has one they're willing to share, I'd love a copy.)

Other news for members of my choir: tickets have just gone on sale (this week) for the Birmingham gigs, and I believe the Mahler 8 ones are selling very fast. More news about the Birmingham season at Intermezzo, and there's also a fascinating Guardian interview with Andris Nelsons.

The Mahler in Manchester series is now over, both live and on R3. Here's a Telegraph review of Mahler 9, which hadn't appeared when I last posted; also an MEN review, a Telegraph review and a 5-star Guardian review of Mahler 10. Also a belated Telegraph review of the Wagner CD, and an Observer review of Billy Budd. And, since one of the reviews mentions it, I may as well include here the fact that Gianandrea is leaving the BBC Phil after next season.

Talking of the BBC Phil, they are having a come-and-sing day this Sunday, featuring Mozart's Requiem. They were pleading on Twitter for tenors and basses to join them, in case you're interested. Oh, and here are some great photos of the Bridgewater Hall.

I enjoyed this Observer feature discussing other people's taste in music.

On Sunday, Radio 3 are having ten straight hours of live music.

Tom Service reports on the backlash against Dudamel, and there's a nice Guardian editorial in praise of operatic arias. And I'm sure lots of you have been watching all the recent opera stuff on the BBC. I've enjoyed it more than I expected to - I like opera, but wouldn't describe myself as a huge fan. You can still catch What Makes A Great Tenor and the three Opera Italia episodes on iPlayer, and I recommend them. (There's also several full live operas, including Aida and the Marriage of Figaro.)

Sydney Opera House, by way of contrast, recently held a concert for dogs.

You remember the Leonard Slatkin drama recently re La Traviata? Well, now he's come out and explained that Angela Gheorghiu was the cause. Fascinating, but I'm torn - on the one hand, if she's behaving badly, people should know, but on the other hand it's a bit unprofessional of him to say so, maybe.

I think I mentioned that the South African opera singer who was due to sing at the opening ceremony had died - well, they're going to use his voice anyway.

Stephen Hough has another practice tip: practise with your eyes shut.

Classical Iconoclast reminds us that Bachtrack has recently been updated - go and have a look. It's a very useful site, and now it has all sorts of new features.

The latest wacky classical music story is that they're using Mozart operas to treat sewage. Whatever next?!?

4 Bars Rest has a proper Whit Friday retrospective, which laments the tragedy that marked this year's contest and bemoans the increasing number of thuggish "spectators", but also informs us that the St Etienne Band, who I mentioned last time, are from Huddersfield University.

I like this Guardian story about what music makes you feel old. (If you've never heard Pendulum, Watercolour is their current single.)

You may not be aware that there isn't, for once, an official England World Cup song. However, the Guardian rates a few unofficial ones, and Manchester Confidential brings news of a Manchester-created effort called God Save Colleen. I haven't heard it, but I want to!

Also, it seems that ten staff in a Manchester pub have all changed their name by deed poll to Wayne Rooney. This amuses me far more than it should.

And I haven't mentioned the vuvuzela yet, so here's yet another story about it. (If you haven't heard the sound of these things yet, I guarantee you will in the next week!)

Some of the non-football fans among you (and some of the fans, too) will enjoy this collection of all the best-looking players from all the teams. Although for some reason he/she has a dislike of Cristiano Ronaldo and refused to include him. Bizarre.

Manchester Day is a week on Sunday, and they need strong volunteers to carry the giant bees in the parade.

The train users among you will no doubt be as unimpressed as me to hear that the new government has apparently decided that there is no need for extra train carriages after all. *headdesk*

Very pretty: live webcams from Iceland.

And finally, for my fellow Harry Potter fans: Boris Johnson makes a very reasonable demand, and here's the recently-released latest trailer for the Deathly Hallows films Exciting!